Problems ejecting cases

[cantgrowup]

I have a brand new AA 24" Shilen barreled 6.5 Grendel upper that I waited an entire yet for. Shooting it for the first time with handloaded 123 A-Max and 31.8gr of CFE22, most of the cases were not clearing the port and were stovepiping or worse, being jammed back into the lugs, ruining the necks.

I've since learned that these loads were over the new max limits (loaded before 9th edition), but is that causing the ejection issues? This upper was placed on my .50 Beowulf AA lower. I know jack squat about tuning issues with AR's. Since the AA Beowulf lower came from the factory set up as is w/ A2 stock, does it have a too stiff of a spring and a too heavy buffer for the Grendel upper to cycle correctly?

I've seen threads on chamfering ejector and taking corners off of extractor, but those don't seem to be causing shortstroking of the bolt and failure to eject.

[LRRPF52]

Hot loads will often increase the cyclic rate of your operating system. Increased cyclic rate = less time for the spent case to escape the ejection port, and will often result in a stovepipe malfunction. This is especially true with a 24" RLGS, where you have more dwell time.

That load would probably run fine in my 16" MLGS, or a 20" RLGS, but the increased dwell time of the 24" barrel with a higher than max load is most likely your issue. Since you're using a rifle buffer, which is one of the heaviest buffers available, it shows how over-gassed you are with that load.

Work up the load using published starting loads. Never load a max published load for your first recipe for any rifle. Every reloading handbook on the market will warn you explicitly about this.

This appears to be a gas system issue to me at this point. You basically put too much gas into the cylinder and over-sped the action.

[cantgrowup]

Thanks for the advice. I will try stepping down the load. In my defense, I always work loads from the bottom, but I actually got this load from this forum back in Oct 2012 before Hornady published the 9th edition (there weren't any Grendel CFE223 loads in the 8th edition).

[Tedward]

Hot loads will often increase the cyclic rate of your operating system. Increased cyclic rate = less time for the spent case to escape the ejection port, and will often result in a stovepipe malfunction. This is especially true with a 24" RLGS, where you have more dwell time.

That load would probably run fine in my 16" MLGS, or a 20" RLGS, but the increased dwell time of the 24" barrel with a higher than max load is most likely your issue. Since you're using a rifle buffer, which is one of the heaviest buffers available, it shows how over-gassed you are with that load.

Work up the load using published starting loads. Never load a max published load for your first recipe for any rifle. Every reloading handbook on the market will warn you explicitly about this.

This appears to be a gas system issue to me at this point. You basically put too much gas into the cylinder and over-sped the action.

Couldn't he resolve it with an adjustable gas block or is it because he is using hot handloads?

[LRRPF52]

Bwild97 worked up a ton of loads with CFE223, but he is using very long COL with a modified magazine, which gives him more case capacity, and more usable powder space before hitting maximum pressures. A lot of his loads are 2.295"-2.300", and he was in uncharted territory then.

[bwaites]

The other thing that might be useful is to polish the edges a bit on you extractor. The new extractors can be pretty sharp and grab the brass pretty hard, not releasing it to eject properly.

[cantgrowup]

The other thing that might be useful is to polish the edges a bit on you extractor. The new extractors can be pretty sharp and grab the brass pretty hard, not releasing it to eject properly.

Will do.

[gastonglock21s]

I had failure to eject issues with my new 16" Alexander Arms upper out of the box as well.

The bolt locked open after firing with one round loaded in the mag so I could rule out not having enough gas.

Next mod was making my factory gas block adjustable to rule out overgassing. I tried all the way open to just locking back on the mag and still had failure to eject problems.

Turned out to be the extractor. I had taken off all the burrs on the extractor all the way around the hook portion to eliminate stress risers before I ever took it to the range. I could pop in and out a case by hand with no problem. I was reading a post by another member here that had the same problem and he posted a pic of his extractor after he modified it. I made mine look like his in the picture he posted and now it works perfectly. I think that a picture of an appropriately modified extractor should be made a sticky.

HTH

[cantgrowup]

I had failure to eject issues with my new 16" Alexander Arms upper out of the box as well.

The bolt locked open after firing with one round loaded in the mag so I could rule out not having enough gas.

Next mod was making my factory gas block adjustable to rule out overgassing. I tried all the way open to just locking back on the mag and still had failure to eject problems.

Turned out to be the extractor. I had taken off all the burrs on the extractor all the way around the hook portion to eliminate stress risers before I ever took it to the range. I could pop in and out a case by hand with no problem. I was reading a post by another member here that had the same problem and he posted a pic of his extractor after he modified it. I made mine look like his in the picture he posted and now it works perfectly. I think that a picture of an appropriately modified extractor should be made a sticky.

HTH

What is a "stress riser"?

[sureshot]

I am pretty sure you can ensure the gas system is in line and if that does not correct the problem, take a look at the extractor/ejector combination. I would look there before I start diving into load development. Your rifle should fire and cycle a regular round and if you start your loads at the bottom, then you should not be close to over gassing.

[cantgrowup]

Okay... I've dropped my loads down to the middle of a published range and am still having issues with stove pipe ejections. Stove pipes are happening about half the shots. None were jammed back into the lugs however, like before (ruining the case necks). Before I mess with the loads more, I've decided to remove the ejector and extractor and do modifications to them. I've seen how to modify the edges of the ejector, but can someone show me the link to a picture that shows what a smoothed extractor claw should look like? I've tried searching unsuccessfully.

[gastonglock21s]

IM me with your email address and I can send you the pics I have.

[rasp65]

CGU Here is a link to what I did to my bolt. http://forum.snipershide.com/sniper-...-slick-up.html

[cantgrowup]

Okay... I filed off and polished the corners of my extractor, and beveled the edges of the ejector. If I have more than two rounds in the magazine, the first shot will stovepipe the empty on top of the half-chambered second round, crunching its case into the lower lugs and ruining an 80 cent case. So... what next? File some of the ejector spring off?

[LRRPF52]

Sounds like a gas system issue still. The above malfunction comes across to me as short-stroking, but pics would be helpful.